


The Three A.M. Job

by cheap-perfume-and-gasoline (burning_books)



Category: Leverage
Genre: Best Friends, Comfort, Gen, Minor Alec Hardison/Parker, eliot and parker being best friends, or a romantic fic at all, they're just best pals, this is not an ot3 fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-19
Updated: 2021-01-19
Packaged: 2021-03-18 00:27:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,042
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28858092
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/burning_books/pseuds/cheap-perfume-and-gasoline
Summary: Eliot and Parker both don't sleep much.
Relationships: Parker & Eliot Spencer (Leverage)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 44





	The Three A.M. Job

**Author's Note:**

> This is based on a headcanon that Max and I have: Eliot and Parker are the kind of best friends who go find each other in the middle of the night, because neither one of them sleeps much, and it's better than being alone. Most of the time Parker falls asleep first, but very rarely Eliot will fall asleep first.

The soft click of the doorknob twisting snapped Eliot Spencer into immediate alert. He sat up straight, put his book down, and waited. The door inched open and revealed a hint of blond hair.

Parker. 

He relaxed. "Come in, Parker," he called out to her, softly, trying not to scare her. The door swung open and she stepped over the threshold.

"Hey," she said. "I thought you might have been asleep. I didn't want to wake you, if you were."

"Nope. You know me," he replied.

"I brought snacks," she said, holding up a big bag of potato chips and pulling the door shut behind her.

He shifted over, made room for her to sit next to him on the bed. "Thanks," he said, smiling in spite of himself. These late night visits were becoming a regular thing between the two of them, not that Eliot minded. Neither of them slept much. And besides, Parker obnoxiously crunching potato chips definitely beat sitting up alone in the late-night dark with nothing but his own misery to keep him company. The low orange lamplight already felt warmer, just having her beside him. And he had a feeling she felt similarly. 

"So what's on your mind tonight?" he asked her after a stretch of comfortable silence.

"Not much, really. I was just kind of lonely. And Hardison snores SO loud."

He chuckled and bit back a retort about her and those chips. "Fair enough," he said instead, reaching for the bag and pulling out a handful. 

He could tell that underneath her casual demeanor something was bothering her, but he didn't pry. If she wanted to talk about it, she'd bring it up. 

"I've just been up readin' this book Sophie got me. It's pretty good, keeps my mind off the stuff I'd rather not think about." He pushed his glasses back up on his nose. 

"I'm surprised you're not sleeping. You have to be exhausted after all the fighting you did today," she said, concern edging into her voice.

"Yeah, I dozed off awhile, earlier, but..." He trailed off, and she looked at him expectantly. As badly as he wanted to, he couldn't bring himself to lie. Not to her. "Nightmare," he said simply, and she nodded. 

"I know the feeling," she replied, and it was all she had to say. That was what was bothering her. They both had ghosts, the kind that didn't stay dead. The kind that came back to haunt them in the lonely three a.m. dark. And while Hardison meant well, and supported Parker in the daylight hours, but he was the heavier sleeper between he and Eliot, and laying in the dark listening to someone snoring after waking from a nightmare wasn't exactly comforting. Eliot understood. He'd been there. 

"You might like this book," Eliot said after another long stretch of silence. "It's about a thief."

"Maybe I'll borrow it when you're done," she said, scooting closer to him and resting her head on his shoulder. Parker normally wasn't much for physical contact, but more often than not she'd end up curled against Eliot during their late night chats. He never minded. Her gentleness was always a welcome change of pace from his usual contact - the kind that more often than not left him bruised and sore, and not in a fun way. 

"Hey, Parker, what's the best part about being a thief?" he asked her, just to get her talking about something that made her happy. 

"I love the planning of a good heist. One that's challenging. Strong security, super difficult to break. The payoff is always amazing. I also love to improvise." She kept talking, going on about her cleverest break-ins, and then about lockpicking. They shifted together to lay down, her head on his chest, and still she kept telling him stories. Her body was warm against his, and her voice was quiet and steady, and before Eliot realized it he was drifting off. 

\---

When the sound of Eliot's breathing slowed and evened out, Parker realized he'd finally fallen asleep. It was rare that he dozed off before she did, but honestly, he needed the rest far more than her tonight. 

Moving slowly, she took his glasses off him and set them on the bedside table. Then she clicked off the lamp, and hesitated for a moment. If she stayed, Hardison would wake up to an empty bed. But if she left, she knew she'd never fall back asleep. 

Decision made, she settled back into Eliot's bed, her head on his warm, solid chest and her arm draped over his waist. She was thankful he didn't snore. His heartbeat and gentle breathing lulled her off to sleep soon enough. 

\---

Eliot woke first, to the sounds of Hardison shuffling around in the kitchen. Sunlight streamed through the cracks in the blinds. Parker was still snuggled up with him and still asleep. She looked peaceful. It made him smile. He laid there a few minutes, as long as he could stand before he got too restless and had to get up. 

His attempts to untangle himself roused her, and she blinked sleepily up at him as he moved to sit up. 

"Mornin', sunshine," he said, and she smiled. 

"Morning," she mumbled in reply. 

He noticed his glasses perched on the table, and realizing he didn't remember taking them off, assumed Parker put them there. "Sorry I fell asleep on ya last night..." 

"You were exhausted, Eliot. I just hope you got some rest." She sat up next to him. 

"I did." He meant it. That was the best he'd slept in weeks. "Did you?"

"Yeah. I did too."

"Hey," he said after a long pause, "want me to make pancakes for breakfast?" 

That got her out of bed with a leap. "Yes!!" she yelled, practically dashing out to the kitchen. Eliot laughed and shook his head. 

"Yeah, figured as much," he said to himself, getting up off the bed. He stretched out his sore muscles and took a moment to be thankful for Parker. She was obnoxious, and had way too much energy sometimes, but she was the best friend he could ever ask for. And that meant more to him than he could ever say.


End file.
